The Prince And His Court
by Let'sDefyGravity
Summary: AU, medieval setting. Haruhi wants to help her father, one of the unwealthy nobles, and the best way to that is to become a knight. The only problem? Only boys can become knights. Oh well. At the capital, Haruhi meets the prince and his strange court.
1. Intro

So this is my first Ouran fanfic - and the second fanfic I've written. Ever. So be gentle with me ;_; So a little background, lest you get one paragraph into the story and close the window after having a WTF moment -

So This is totally AU. Kind of a... parallel universe in a way. Mildly medieval, like princes, knights, courts. In these particular kingdoms in this story, women aren't very useful - pretty much just decoration at court, meant to be married off as soon as possible so that their family can get the dowry, and their new husbands get them in their prime years for childbirth. Pleasant, right? So this particular story takes place in a kingdom called Alanora, and for the most part in the capital city of Ouran.

Note: If some of the plot seems familiar to you, I did get a lot of inspiration from Tamora Pierce's the Song of the Lioness quartet. And here we go.


	2. An Idea

**I do not own Ouran. I wish I did. But I don't. Please review, so I know whther or not I should continue ^^**

**... ... ... ... ... ...**

"But I don't want to go alone." Yukiko complained, voice slightly muffled from the pillow covering her face. She sat up slightly to peer at her younger sister, a frown knitting her brows together as she asked, not for the first time "Why can't you come too?"

Haruhi sighed, making a face at her older, much more expressive sister. "You know perfectly well why. Dad needs me. If we had a brother, it would be different, but..."

"... 'But dad could never love anyone else as much as he loved our mother, so after she died he vowed never to marry again.' So yeah, I get that I need to get married - preferably to someone rich - and fast. I just don't get why you're here for another year." Yuki grimaced, clearly not liking the idea or marrying at her age or the prospects of going to the capital alone.

Haruhi sighed, hearing the beginning of a familiar conversation. "Despite the fact that I'm a girl, I'm one of the smartest people here, and I'm a good hunter and fighter. They need me. We aren't exactly wealthy, and we need all the help we can get. Besides, most of the time, girls don't go to court until they're seventeen, like you. Mostly it's just boys who go at sixteen, since they're trying to become knights."

It was a complicated setup for them, yes. Usually, if there was a son, he would, at sixteen, become a squire to an existing knight after training for three months, and then two years later they would be knighted. After that, the good knights could expect royal rewards for services to the crown, and that would help their families. The only problem was that Haruhi and Yukiko had no brother, so they had to deal with what they could. There wasn't so much of an issue of inheriting their fathers lands - it was rare, but women could inherit - but finances were a definite issue.

Unfortunately for Haruhi, Yukiko's mind was on the same trail of thought, and her overactive imagination was already working. Lighting fast, Yuki hopped off her bed and slid onto Haruhi's, leaning in close to peer at her face.

"Hey! Ever heard of something called personal space? Because it doesn't seem that way..." Haruhi trailed off, seeing a familiar glint in her sister's eyes. "I know that look. It means you're about to suggest something that will ultimately get us in trouble."

"It won't..." Yuki said slowly. "Not if we do it right... Now you're definitely feminine... but I've met boys who were kind of on the girlish side. You'd have to cut your hair to be able to pull it off..." Yuki was muttering. And what Haru was hearing was making her worry.

"What are you saying? What do you mean cut my hair?"

Yuki leveled her eyes at her younger sister. "You said you wanted to help dad, right? Our family, our lands, the people on our lands?" Haru nodded, wary. "And you also say that a boy would be better equipped to do this, yes?" Another nod. "Well, everyone at court already knows that i'm coming, who I am. But I'm willing to bet no one knows a thing about you. Dad was such a wreck after mother died in childbirth with you, and he's practically been a hermit ever since, he probably never told anyone a thing about you..."

Haru gritted her teeth. "What are you getting at, Yuki? Just spit it out."

Yuki grinned, that slow, mischievous smile that Haru knew - and dreaded - all too well. She took a step back off the bed and looked down at her little sister, looking her over as if evaluating her. "Who's to say I _don't_ have a brother?"


	3. Arrival

**I do not own Ouran**

**... ... ...**

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this. It's never going to work." Haruhi grumbled, fingering the ends of her now short hair and looking out the carriage window at the flashing scenery.

Yuki grinned. "It's totally going to work. Dad still drinks day in and day out, so he won't notice anything. And I explained everything to Yuto, dad's steward guy. He agrees. He thinks you'll make a great knight. And he'll take care of everything here. Plus..." With a small smile, Yuki pulled an envelope out of her bag. "He wrote a letter and had dad sign it. Dad probably though it was fief business, so he went right ahead. It's to give to the training master, talking about how his _son_ is going to start training soon." She winked. "_And_ I asked Rei –"

"Our cousin?"

"The very same – what living arrangements were like there, and he says that everyone gets their own room. So changing and bathing shouldn't be an issue, if you don't object to a little extra effort."

Haru sighed. Maybe her sister _had_ thought this crazy plan all the way through. Perhaps it could actually work. Haruhi had two years ahead of her pretending to be a boy as a trainee and then a squire. After she was knighted, she could travel to stay out from under the crown's eye. And she could be a benefit to her family. Help her father in a way she didn't think she'd be able to.

Maybe this _was_ for the best.

The carriage jolted to a stop. Haru jumped, realizing she had been lost in her own thoughts for quite some time now, and once again looked out the window.

"The palace…" Yuki breathed, stepping out as a coachman opened the door for her. Haru followed suit and found herself looking around in wonder, impressed despite herself. Shining parapets and high towers, courtyards, fountains… there was so much to take in. And she'd barely seen any of it yet.

She felt a tug on her arm. It was Yuki; having flagged down what looked like a stable boy, she had asked where the training master's offices were to be found. Haru listened, mentally memorizing the instructions. After he'd left, Yuki sighed, handed her their 'father's' letter, and before she knew it, Haruhi was being pulled into a tight hug.

"Good luck." Yukiko whispered and pulled back, turning and following her maid to her new rooms.

Haruhi swallowed and looked down at the letter. "I'll need it." She muttered, before taking a deep breath, squaring her shoulders, and starting off.


	4. Interview

**I do not own Ouran**

**... ... ...**

Haruhi hesitated before reaching her hand up to knock softly on the door of the training master, who, if things went well, would be in charge of her for the next two months when she was a trainee. If things didn't go well...

Let's not think about that now.

"Enter." The deep voice made Haruhi jump, and she slowly pushed the door open to reveal a very organized office with a very intimidating man sitting behind a desk. She crept in, feeling more nervous than she could ever remember being.

"Sit." Haruhi did so. A few awkward seconds passed before she realized the man wanted her to say something.

"I, um... just arrived. I'm here to train. To be a knight."

"What's your surname?"

"Fujioka. My father's lands are in the western mountains."

"I know it. I didn't know he had a son, though."

Haruhi swallowed. "He doesn't talk about me much."

The man smiled. "Fair enough. Do you have a letter?" Haruhi handed it over. The man had just started opening it when the door burst open. Haruhi turned to find a small-ish boy with light hair and a beaming smile, standing next to a towering man with dark hair, and very little expression at all. Glancing back at the training master, she was surprised to see that his reaction to the interruption was only an eye roll.

"Mitsukuni. I though I told you to knock."

"Sorry dad." The boy said. "But the chefs are experimenting and made a new type of cake. I wanted to know if you wanted so- Who's this?" His eyes had gone to Haruhi, and his head tilted in an inquisitive manner. The man standing beside him had also directed his gaze to Haruhi, but his face remained impassive.

The training master stood. "I'm sorry. This is-" He glanced down at the letter. "Haruhi. Haruhi, this is my son, Mitsukuni Haninozuka, and his cousin, Takashi Morinozuka." They both bowed, in turn, and Haruhi did the same. "Why don't you show this young man to his rooms and give him the information he needs?" He sat back down and got back to his work, seeming to have forgotten the three boys (well, sort of) in his room.

"Come on!" Mitsukuni said, startling Haruhi by grabbing her hand and pulling her out of the room. "You can call me Hunny, and you can call Takashi, Mori. Everyone else does." Seeing Haruhi looking at the taller man, Hunny smiled. "His dad is the arms master, in charge of the distribution and production of weapons in the kingdom. Welcome to the capital by the way. And come on, trainees rooms are this way."

**... ... ...**

**Please review ^^**


	5. Welcome to the Palace

**Confession: I have no idea who Haruhi will end up with in this story. We'll just have to see. It'll probably be one of the twins, or it'll be Kyoya. Or Tamaki. It depends on how well I'm able to play their personalities.**

**...**

**I do not own Ouran.**

... ... ... ...

Hunny was still talking about a thousand miles a minute, and all Haruhi could do was follow behind.

"So you know how things work around here, right?" Not giving her a chance to answer, he continued. "You have two months of intense training - learning how to shoot, how to ride, how to use a sword and do hand-to-hand. After that, there are the examinations, to make sure you're ready. If you pass those - and about two thirds do - you become a squire. Now usually, a squire gets picked up in the first year, by a knight. If they do, the knight brings them along when they travel. If there's a war, the squire assist the knight in arming up, with his horses, and in the actual skirmishes themselves. If a squire doesn't get picked by a knight, he performs duties at the palace. Desk work. Boring if you ask me. When I was a squire-"

For the first time, Haruhi cut in. "You were a squire?"

"Yep." Hunny smiled. "I've been a knight for a year."

Haruhi blinked. She didn't know eight year-olds could become knights. Maybe because he was the training master's son?

"He's nineteen." Said a deep voice. Startled, Haruhi looked up. Mori. She'd almost forgotten he was there. What he'd said hit her. Nineteen? Really? She wasn't really one to talk, being herself of less than usual size. Granted, she was also a girl.

During Hunny's small speech, she hadn't really been paying attention to where they were going. But next thing she knew, Hunny was handing her a key, and they were standing in front of a door. Taking out a small piece of chalk, Hunny wrote out 'Haruhi' on the small board mounted on the door before opening it and leading Haruhi into the room.

It was nice. Very simple. A bed, a closet, a dresser, and a small door she assumed led to the bathroom.

"Training technically starts tomorrow, but you should probably meet everyone today. They're all gathered in the mess hall, because it's almost dinnertime. It's the perfect opportunity to introduce yourself! The people from your carriage will bring up your luggage, hence the sign on the door. Now this way."

Haruhi was whisked away again, being tugged through various maze-like corridors and hallways. She had a feeling it would take her forever to memorize them.

"Now," Hunny piped up again. "All trainees have the same schedule, and it's the same everyday except Saturday and Sunday. So you should be able to figure it out. Just follow the rest of them. And you'll be fitted for your palace uniform after dinner."

Haruhi paused, eyes wide. "Fitted?"

"Yeah, you know. Tape measures, clothes. Fitted."

Haruhi was saved from having a major panic attack when they stopped in front of yet another set of doors and Mori opened them to reveal a sea of boys about Haruhi's age. Hunny walked in without hesitation, but Haruhi wasn't so sure. She took a deep breath, and looked up to the feeling of a steady hand on her shoulder. She smiled. "I'm okay, Mori-sempai." He nodded, and they walked into the dining hall.


	6. Introductions

**I do not claim to own Ouran**

**... ... ...**

Hunny waved them over to a table already almost filled with boys. Before she sat down, though, Hunny pulled her aside.

"What?" She asked. "Aren't we supposed to eat now?" To be honest, Haru was famished. Granted, she always was, but still.

"Well, I just kind of wanted to prepare you." He started pointing to people at the table. "That's Daichi. Second year squire. His family advises the crown. Watch out for him though."

"Why?" He looked nice enough.

"It's... well, he's sneaky. Just... stay on your guard around him." He moved on. "That's Yoshiro, first year squire. His family... well, no one knows _what_ they do, exactly. I'm relatively sure his father's the spy master, though. But it's confidential, so no one _really_ knows. He's nice though. That's Ren, a first year squire. His family is mainly agricultural. Katsuo's his brother, and a trainee like you. Sora's a first year knight. He's the Prince's cousin on his mother's side." He hesitated before introducing the people at the head of the table. "That's Hikaru and Kaoru. Trainees like you, except they're almost done with training, and everyone knows them since they've been living at the palace for the last year. their parents are some of the richest nobles in the kingdom, even if their lands are pretty isolated." Next he nodded to a dark haired boy with glasses. "That's Kyoya. He's actually the son of the King of Zarath."

"He's Zaren? Then what is he doing here in Alanora?"

"Well, he's the third son, so he's obviously not going to get the throne. So his father sent him over here to train and stay out of trouble, in case he decides he _does_ want the throne over there. Helps with diplomatic reasons between the two countries, too, us having Kyoya. he's a second year squire, and will be going for his knighthood in three months." Gesturing to the last man at the table, Hunny grinned. "That's Tamaki."

"As in... the crown prince?"

"The very same. He's also a second year squire, but he doesn't turn eighteen until four or so months from now, so he'll be knighted then. And... that's all of them." She pulled her over to the head of the table. "Tama-chan, Kyo-chan, Kao-chan, Hika-chan!" Haru raised an eyebrow at the nicknames. "This is Haruhi. He's new today."

One of the twins leaned forward. "New, huh? That means he's-"

"-a trainee like us." The other one leaned forward. "This should be fun." Identically evil smirks came onto their faces.

"Hikaru, Kaoru! Is that any way to greet a newcomer? We should be gracious." The blond one - Prince Tamaki - stood and gave a deep-to-the-point-of-being-theatrical bow. "Haruhi, right? Welcome to my court." He swept his arms wide to indicate the boys at his table and the thirty or so others in the room.

"Yes, welcome Haruhi." It was the foreign prince, Kyoya. He glanced her up and down before smirking and going back to his food.

"Come on, lets go get our food, the line is this way." In a slight daze, Haruhi followed Hunny and Mori.

Princes, wealthy sons of spy-masters and devious sets of twins.

What had she gotten herself into?

**... ... ...**

**You know in the anime, how there are lightbulbs that go off when the host club members figure out she's female? I wonder how I'm going to convey that. Kyoya just smirks in this chapter to show it (after, like... two seconds. As is his way), but I don't know about the others.**

** Please review.**


	7. We'll Come With You

Haruhi put her fork down, only to look up and find the twins and the prince looking at her in a sort of stunned fascination. One of the twins - Kaoru? - sat back and let out a low whistle. "I've never seen someone so small eat that much. Except for Hunny, but that's just with sweets."

Hikaru shrugged. "Maybe it's not the amount of food. Just that he was eating it so indelicately."

Tamaki broke in with a loud whisper. "Hikaru! Kaoru! Just because he's practically a commoner-" _Great_, Haruhi thought. _It seems as though Hunny has already filled them in on my situation. Lovely_. "-is no reason to say things like that. We have to be sensitive."

Haruhi rolled her eyes. "You do understand I can hear everything you say. And you calling me a commoner isn't exactly _sensitive_, Your Highness."

"Please, despite your status, call me Tamaki. Or just 'senpai'." _Somehow I don't think he got the point of what I just said. _

"So…" One of the auburn-haired boys – she was pretty sure this one was Hikaru – smiled and tilted his head. "You need a tour of the palace?" He and his twin exchanged a glance that reminded her scarily of her sister's own mischievous looks. Except the twins seemed slightly more malicious.

"A-Actually, I have-" She blanched, having almost forgotten. "I have a fitting for the uniform."

Kouru grinned. "Well, we were planning on visiting the outfitters today. We have a complaint about the quality of the fabric. We could accompany you."

"That won't be necessary." Haruhi said. She had enough trouble on her hands trying to figure out a way to make sure the tailor didn't find out, she didn't need those two clowns tagging along, too (watching everyone over dinner had given her a pretty good idea of everyone's personalities).

Hikaru patted Haruhi's head, making her narrow her eyes. "That wasn't a request. We're going anyway. So come on." The twins stood and grabbed Haru to pull her along. She sighed, figuring it was useless, and followed.

…

Hikaru and Kaoru chatted while Haruhi had her own internal panic attack on their way through the twisting and turning halls. Haruhi froze when she saw the door at the end of the last hall they turned into. _Tailor_.

_What do I do? _Her distress had caught the interest of the two boys on either side of her, and they turned to peer at her.

"Can't we put this off?" Haruhi asked. "I'm sure it would be much more convenient for me to do this later…"

"No, we're already here." They said simultaneously and pushed her forward.

"I just… don't want anyone dressing me. I don't…"

Behind her, Kaoru and Hikaru exchanged glances. Kouru leaned over to whisper to his twin. "You think…"

Hikaru grinned. "We said this would be interesting." He replied, voice just as low.

Haruhi frowned, hearing them whispering but not able to make out the words. "What was that?"

"Nothing!" They chorused, before pushing her into the room and following.


	8. Fitting

**I think we've established the fact that Ouran is not mine.**

... ... ...

Haruhi stepped in nervously, looking around. _This is it. This could spell my doom. But I haven't even really started, yet!_

She could hear one of the twins drawl behind her "We have a new trainee. The pipsqueak needs a uniform."

A thin, balding, middle aged man stood, eyeing the three newcomers. "Yes, of course." He said in a thin voice. Just let me…" He looked around and started grabbing pins and articles of clothing before advancing on Haruhi, who stood frozen. He handed her a rough shirt and pants. "Put these on, so I can adjust them." He raised his eyebrows and gestured for her to do so. She swallowed.

"Actually…" Haruhi turned to see Kaoru with that disturbing catlike expression on his face. "We wanted you to take up the matter of the quality of fabric with the seamstresses. They should be still working now in the storerooms, and we'd appreciate you discussing it with them."

"But-" The man began protesting, looking over at Haruhi. "I thought I was supposed to-"

"We can take care of him. Now _go._" Hikaru started circling Haruhi as the man left, muttering.

"Can you just order him around like that?" Haruhi frowned, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

Kaoru shrugged. "We're noble. And our mother… one of her hobbies is designing clothes. The queen took notice of it a while back and mother's been the main voice of fashion in the kingdom ever since. One word from her and a tailor like him could lose his job in a heartbeat."

"Oh. That makes… sense." Kouru smiled. "Now you heard the man. Put these on. There's a screen if you don't want to dress in front of us…"

She was off like a shot, ducking behind the screen and undressing and dressing as quickly as possible.

Out of earshot, Hikaru and Kaoru were, once again, having a low conversation.

"I'm sure. Did you see the look on… _his_ face."

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Why though?"

"There could be a few reasons, but…"

"…But it'll certainly stir things up around here. Think anyone else knows?"

"Maybe. But then again, half the people here are…"

"… Really stupid and oblivious? Yeah."

Haruhi stepped out from behind the screen, and the two taller boys walked over and started tugging and pinching at the cloth on her body. She breathed a sigh of relief. As much time as Yuki had spent in the last few years making jokingly sympathetic comments about Haruhi's diminutive chest size, it was actually beneficial in this situation. And for what _was_ there, she's managed to wrap s tight bandage around her upper body to bind it. She stood absolutely still when the twins started sticking pins in the fabric to show where it should be cut and resewn.

When they were done, the twins straightened, surveying their handiwork. When they were apparently satisfied, they nodded and shooed Haruhi back behind the screen. "Be careful of the pins!" One of them called. When Haruhi reappeared, she handed the twins the uniform, and Hikaru, in turn, put it on the tailor's desk.

"So, that tour of the palace…" Kaoru started.

Haru shook her head. After the nervousness had worn off and she realized she'd dodged that bullet, she'd discovered how tired she really was. With a yawn, she shrugged. "Not now. I just want to sleep right now. I've had a rather eventful day, and training starts for me tomorrow."

Kaoru shrugged, and they started back off to the trainee's wing.


	9. Trainee

**As much as I**** love these boys, sadly, they do not belong to me.**

… … …

"_Trainees!"_

Haruhi woke with a start at the shout that rang through the hall. She sat up, looking at the still closed door, and then the window. Judging by the light, it was barely past five in the morning. "Why so early…?" She groaned, getting up. A pounding at her door caused her to jump and swear. "I'M UP!" She yelled, sliding out of her bed and grabbing one of the newly delivered uniforms from the top of her dresser. "This is ridiculous…" She muttered, retying the binding around her chest and dressing in the dark.

Five minutes later, she stumbled out of her room, her body adjusting to the early hour. Noticing how the other boys spilling out of their rooms seemed used to it, she shrugged, figuring she might as well try to become accustomed to it as well. Following the blue clad figures down the hall, she tried to pay attention to her surroundings, so she would remember them the next day.

She felt crowded all at once and looked up to find the twins, Hikaru and Kaoru, on either side of her. "Um… hi. Where exactly are we going?" She looked around.

Kaoru, who she was beginning to think of as the more cooperative twin, shrugged. "Pre-dawn exercises. They wake us up. Then we have breakfast, and then we have the rest of our training. But this early in the morning, it's just the basics. I don't think they want exhausted teenagers swinging swords at each other."

"It could end… badly?" Haruhi assumed.

"Oh, it would be entertaining. Just not exactly healthy." Hikaru smiled.

"I see."

The group of trainees walked through open double doors into the open air. On her left, Haruhi could see what she assumed to be the stables. And next to them, what appeared to be the jousting yard. Right before her lay a lawn for riding, and on her right, a building about as large as the stables, and behing everything, she could see the river.

"The training yards." Kaoru supplied, though Haruhi had already assumed as much.

An hour later, Haruhi was sorely regretting not preparing herself better for this back home. All they'd done was stretch, run, go through some hand-to-hand techniques, and do muscle strengthening exercises, but it had been more than Haruhi had ever done at one time before. Trudging back to the palace, she was surprised to see many of the boys start stripping off their shirts. "What…?" She understood as soon as she saw them start running toward the river.

Haruhi gulped as a half-naked Hikaru looped his arms around her shoulders. "Aren't you going to join us, Haruhi?"

"Um… I don't... I don't like swimming." She lied. As much as the cool water of the river looked enticing, she couldn't very well swim in her new uniform, and taking it off wouldn't help her at all.

…

She had run by her bedroom to clean up and splash water on her face, so when she finally got to breakfast, her stomach was growling and she was late. She was surprised to see that Hunny had saved a seat for her. After getting her food, she collapsed into the chair, digging into her food with vigor.

"Hard first day, Haru-chan? But it's only been an hour!" Hunny blinked at her, eyes huge.

Haruhi shrugged. "Just not used to it, I guess."

"You'll _get_ used to it." Kyoya pushed his glasses up. "Either that or you'll flunk out."

"How encouraging." Haruhi muttered dryly.

Tamaki ruffled her hair. "Not to worry. We'll help you."


	10. Routine

**Except for the ones I created, the characters don't belong to me.**

… … …

And so it went. Haruhi would wake up, do her morning exercises, eat, do the actual training with a break for lunch in the middle of the day, go to dinner, and then collapse into her bed. After about a week, she realized that her body was getting used to it. Either that or she was just too tired to notice that it was hard. And she'd been adopted by the prince and his group. Despite her irritation when they commented on how poor she was compared to them and their general obnoxiousness, she found she actually liked them. She realized that she hadn't expected to actually make friends. But… it was nice.

One day, Haruhi arrived at training to find a new man standing next to the training master. Seeing the other boys grimace (or grin in anticipation, depending on their natures), she figured that they knew what he was here for. She, too, found out soon enough.

The man – a tall, dark haired man with a fierce, but at the same time, almost familiar look - stepped forward and the boys fell silent. "Fencing." His strong voice carried easily. "It's something every knight will need to know, or they will die." And people said _Haruhi_ was blunt. "While your knight master will teach you the finer points once you're squires, it's my job to teach you everything else. Now everyone, grab a practice sword." He gestured to a rack next to the stable wall, and the trainees shuffled forward, each grabbing one of the blunt metal swords. "Now partner up."

Haruhi looked around. The twins, of course, had chosen each other, but she saw Katsuo waving at her, and went over. "Hey. Does he look familiar to you?" She gestured to the new man.

Katsuo raised an eyebrow. "You don't know? That's the arms master. He's also Mori's father."

"Oh… That makes sense." Haru looked back at the man, tilting her head.

Her attention was pulled back to Katsuo when the boy poked her in the shoulder with his practice sword. He smiled. "So, have you ever used one of these?"

Haruhi shook her head. "Not even… at all."

Katsuo grinned. "Well, I'm not going to go easy on you. So remember to guard." Haruhi grimaced at him, eliciting a laugh from the slightly younger boy.

Master Morinozuka showed them some basic steps, and then some more complex ones. The trainees, followed along, Haruhi one of the ones who were struggling to keep up. Katsuo's gloating – playful though it was – didn't help.

…

Haruhi sighed as she stretched her arms in front of her. It was dinnertime, and her muscles were sore from the day's work. She jumped slightly when Kaoru slapped a paper on the table in front of her. Haru frowned, looking down at it. It had the names of all the trainees, and next to them times. "What's this?" She asked, curious.

"You didn't hear?" Hikaru and Kaoru chorused, tilting their heads simultaneously.

Tamaki sat down at the head of the table and leaned forward to inspect the page. "Oh! It's for the ball next week. We're celebrating my dear father's birthday. And you trainees are the ones who will be doing the service. We don't often use servants for that since I suppose it teaches patience and skills or something to the trainees. Not that _I_ needed any when I was a trainee. I was already perfect back then…"

Haruhi zoned out. Over the past week, she found that sometimes it was just best to ignore Tamaki's self-glorifying monologues. If she didn't… well, she assumed that she'd get in trouble for punching the Crown Prince in the face. Looking down at the list, she spotted the twins and her names near the bottom.

"See, this way we have time to dance and flirt with the pretty new girls before we have to work." Hikaru smiled and raised an eyebrow at Haruhi. "You _can_ dance, right? Not that you'll be much taller than any of the ladies there."

Haruhi scowled. "Hikaru. Shut up."


	11. A Request

**Ouran isn't mine.**

… … …

Haruhi groaned, leaning down to pick up her practice sword for the fifth time that day. The only thing she wanted to do right now was wipe the smug smirk of superiority off Katsuo's face. Maybe she would if she could ever get a swing in. But he was too good at swordplay, and she was, at best, less than average.

"It's alright." He said. "Some people just weren't born to be swordsmen."

She scowled. "Again." She bit out. They'd been at this for three days, and Haruhi's skills were advancing at a rate too slow for her liking. She was tired of losing, but what could she do about it?

…

That night, Haruhi knocked softly on the door of Hunny's bedroom. When she heard him call "Come in!", she entered, looking around. The boy was in a chair in the corner, a rabbit in his lap. Haruhi rolled her eyes. How was it, again, that Hunny was the oldest out of their group?

"Haruhi! Come over here! Look at him! Isn't he cute? My grandmother gave him to me." He held up the small bunny and Haru frowned, then bent down to look at its face. Her eyes widened, and she smiled.

"It is really cute, actually. What's his name?"

Hunny's eyes widened before blinking, and he smiled suddenly. "His name is Usa-chan!"

After a few minutes of aww'ing over Hunny's new pet, Haruhi revealed the purpose of her visit. "Umm… Is Mori around here somewhere?"

Hunny tilted his head. "Takashi? Why?"

"Well… I have a favor to ask of him."

"Hmm… He's in the rooms down the hall."

Haruhi left, Hunny trailing behind, and made her way to Takashi's room. She knocked, and seconds later, the door swung open to reveal Takashi in his casual wear. "Yes?"

Haruhi took a deep breath, wondering if this was such a good idea after all. But… she needed it. "Look, I'm tired of getting thumped in sword practice by Katsuo. Please, help me."

"Now?"

"If it's not inconvenient…"

Mori paused, then nodded. "Follow me."

She walked behind him, Hunny skipping along beside them, Usa-chan still cradled in his arms.

Mori led them outdoors, to a part of the palace Haruhi hadn't seen before. It reminded her of the training courts, but larger and more sophisticated. Hunny grinned. "It's the general practice courts, where the knights and squires practice." Haruhi nodded. At the tap on her shoulder, she looked up to see Mori holding out a sword to her. It was heavy than her own practice sword. _But if I can master this, the swords _we_ use should be easy._

Haruhi spent the next two hours practicing and getting tips from the tall knight. When it was obvious that Haruhi was thoroughly exhausted, Mori stopped. "Same time tomorrow." Haruhi nodded. Walking out, her eyes lidded and arms and legs weak, she wasn't paying attention to where she was going. Suddenly, her foot collided with an object – a rock, probably – and she lost her footing, falling forward. Before her face hit the hard ground, Mori's strong hands caught her under her arms. He pulled her up and froze for a moment, hands uncertain, before letting her go. Haruhi turned her head and looked up at him, puzzled by the mild look of confused shock on the knight's face.

… … …

**Yay… so Tamaki's the only idiot who doesn't know now (I made the other people's ways of finding out as similar as I could to the ways they _actually _found out in the manga/anime). I'm thinking Tamaki will find out in the next couple chapters or so, at the ball (because, as everyone knows… everything happens at balls in these types of stories. It's tradition).**

**So… please review. Also, if you have any ideas as to future plotlines, feel free to pm me with suggestions.**


	12. The Ball

**I do not own Ouran High School Host Club or the characters within it. **

… … …

Someone knocked on her door, followed by a voice – one of the twins. "Haruhi, come on. We don't want to be late!"

"I'll be right out!" Haruhi made a face. The ball being a special occasion, it was also her first opportunity to wear her formal uniform. Seeing it in the mirror, she couldn't remember the last time she'd worn anything so fine. The suit looked black, except when the light shone on it in a particular way, and the blue tones in it could be seen. The embroidery around the collar and cuffs was gold thread. She smoothed the soft fabric with fingers that shook.

_Maybe this will be the hardest test so far._ She sighed, raising her eyes to look at her face in the mirror. _All those people – ladies, lords, knights and squires alike. As well as the king and queen. Can I really keep my secret from so many people?_

She took a deep breath and opened her door to find the twins waiting for her on the other side. Although she wouldn't admit it, they looked even more handsome than ever. Even if everyone was wearing the same thing, it seemed made for the two of them. The dark fabric set off their skin to advantage, and the gold thread brought to attention to like colors in their eyes.

Haruhi grumbled. Even if she _was_ really a boy, she wouldn't have been able to measure up to the people in her new group. Then again… she brightened. If everyone's attention was on people like Hikaru and Kaoru, Kyoya and Tamaki… who would pay any mind to one average looking mildly effeminate boy?

…

The trainees were the first to arrive. The squires were to arrive with their knight master, unless – like Prince Tamaki and Prince Kyoya – they had some sort of special status. Next (those that were actually announced) would come the noble-men and -women, in order of rank, until finally the king and queen made their flashy entrance.

For the time being, Haruhi stuck next to Hikaru and Kaoru, and gradually, their group grew as they were joined by Katsuo, Yoshiro, Ren and Daichi, then Hunny and Mori. Tamaki and Kyoya, on account of their rank, were two of the last to arrive, but were whisked off just as quickly, returning every once in a while for a few minutes. Tamaki's parting comments tended to be along the lines of "It's a hard life being an attractive rich prince, having to dance with all these women. But someone has to do it." Extracting grins and eye rolls from everyone else present.

After an hour and a half or so of idle conversation, with one of the boys leaving for or coming back from sharing a dance with one of the various young noblewomen in attendance (and Haruhi standing there awkwardly, not really knowing how to act at these sorts of events), Kaoru nudged Hikaru and gestured to across the ballroom. His twin smirked and gave a low whistle, leading everyone to turn and look. What they saw was a gorgeous young woman about their age, dark hair curling softly around her shoulders, in a dark red dress with a form fitting bodice that flared into a wider skirt. She was a sight that set every man there practically panting. And she was walking towards them.

In his typical womanizing fashion, Yoshiro was the first to step forward and bow. "My lady, I-"

"Haruhi!" The woman exclaimed, leaving Yoshi – and almost everyone else – shocked.

"Why'd she go to Haruhi first? I'm way better looking than he is."

"Yeah. Is Haruhi even taller than her?"

"Maybe she's blind."

"And how does she even know who Haruhi is? He's only been here two or three weeks, and this is the first event since then."

Haruhi rolled her eyes at the whispers, and the woman's eyes slid past Haruhi to look at the boys standing behind her. "You do understand we can hear everything you say, right? And I'm not blind, something you'd figure out if you even thought about it for a second." She smiled sweetly, and Haruhi ducked her head to hide a grin.

"Hi Yuki. How've you been?"

"Pretty good. We have some catching up to do, though. Can I borrow you for a minute?" She smirked.

Haruhi shrugged. "I don't see why not." Yukiko pulled her into a corner of the room, safe from most of the curious eyes.

"What's the point of this?" Haruhi frowned, gesturing around her. "You could have just visited my room. This is more conspicuous, isn't it?"

"Not really. It's more convenient this way, though, since we were both already here. Besides, all they'll see is a beautiful girl talking with you, a- Oh, yeah, that _is_ kind of suspicious."

"Oh shut up." Haruhi grinned.

"Plus, did you see the looks on their faces when I asked you to come with me? Priceless. Oh! Those read heads are _so cute_, you should talk me up to one of them. Preferably the one with the sarcastic look on his face. He looked fun_._ And that tall guy with the dark hair. He didn't say anything when I was over there, but he's gorgeous. And the little guy with the light brown hair – is he even old enough to be here right now?"

"Yuki. Calm down."

"Right. I just haven't talked to you in weeks. The only people I have are my maid and the other noblewomen, and no offense, but they aren't very interesting. I've only made one friend. I miss intelligent conversation. Oh! So you're good, right? No one… _knows_?"

"I think I'm safe. I haven't done anything to jeopardize my situation. I've actually made friends, though. Prince Tamaki is a little exuberant for my taste, and Prince Kyoya a little too evil, but they're endearing, in their own ways."

"How do you think they'll react when they find out?"

"Well, that won't be for another two years, after I'm knighted."

"Do you think they'll revoke your knighthood, once they know? Because I guess keeping it a secret forever wouldn't be very practical. You'll want to get married one day, or you'll get caught on a rainy day in a white shirt. There would be complications, I suppose."

"Well, I don't really think that marriage is in my future. But yeah, among other things, keeping it a secret forever would kill me. I'd feel too dishonest. I can deal with two years, but living my whole life a lie? I couldn't do it." She paused. "I did check the codes, though. The only lawful reason to revoke an earned knighthood is if the person commits high treason. Other crimes they go to court like everyone else, but they're still a knight. So… once everyone finds out, I'll still be a knight. Even if everyone hates me."

"They won't hate you. They'll understand where you're coming from. And even if they do… you still have me." She grinned. "Well, if that's all..." She started walking out into the open again, then glanced back at her younger sister. "I have to go now. But you should introduce me to your_ friends_ soon..."

Haru snorted, rejoining her group.

"Who was that?"

"How do you know her?"

Haruhi chuckled. "That's my sister. And I wouldn't try to get involved, if I were you." She met Kyoya's eyes and shook her head, smiling. He was one of the only ones who didn't appear to be too impressed by Yuki. Well, at least _some_ of her new friends were sane.

**... ... ...**

**So this chapter was mostly just filler stuff, establishing character and relationships more. Not my best work :|**


	13. It Was An Accident

**Yay for finally getting somewhere**

… … …

Haruhi sighed, balancing the tray of drinks in one hand and glaring at the twins across the ballroom. _So I'm doing all the work while they flirt and eat. That's hardly fair. _She plastered a smile on her face and nodded her head as she got to the next group of young half-drunk nobles.

The rest of her night was relatively busy, filled with smiles and awkward flirting with noblewomen as she asked "Another drink?" It was with a deep sigh of relief that she finally saw the master of ceremonies wave her back in.

Just about to enter the servants hall (the one the trainees were using to go to and from the kitchen) when she collided with someone, causing her half empty tray to spill over herself. "What? I'm sorry, I didn't see…" She blinked up into Tamaki's blue-violet eyes. "Your Highness!" She bowed, noting the scurrying away of the woman that the prince had been talking to.

"I told you to call me Tamaki. And no matter. Handsome men can't be hurt by mere collisions. My beauty remains uncompromised, does it not?" Haruhi rolled her eyes. _All hail the King Idiot of lame self-glorifying lines. _

"Please save the lines for the ladies, Tamaki-sempai."

"You imply I'm not always sincere with them!" He clutched his chest as if wounded, looking at her in mock hurt.

"Must you be so theatrical?"

"Theatrical? I-"

"What happened to your clothes?"

Tamaki and Haruhi looked over to find the twins looking at them with expressions of confusion. Haruhi blinked and looked down, grimacing and swearing as she saw the wine splotches on her jacket and her lighter undershirt. There was still half the night left, and she didn't exactly have another formal uniform.

"My drinks spilled." She sighed, shrugging. "But I guess I'll have to make the best of it."

"Nonsense!"

"Tamaki's right." A new voice. Haruhi was startled to see Kyoya. How long had he been there? "Along with making you seem unprofessional, wearing damaged or soiled clothes is also an eyesore for everyone else. You should change."

"I don't have another uniform…"

"We'll think of something. Come with us." The twins dragged her down the hall and shoved her into a small room that seemed to serve no purpose – perhaps it was for storage, but currently empty? – and instructed her to start undressing, as they would send her something.

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. Just leave, then."

A few minutes later, Haruhi had taken off the majority of her clothes, having tossed the obviously wet shirt and jacket into the corner, and was inspecting the rest to see if they, too, had gotten any wine on them, when the door flew open.


	14. Explanations with Interruptions

**I don't own Ouran~**

… … …

"We figured that since you are around the same size as Hunny, you could probably wear his clothes, so we got his formal uniform from _his_ trainee days so maybe…" Tamaki trailed off as he took in the binding around her chest that didn't _quite_ disguise everything, her midsection, and her legs, eyes widening as his mouth fell open. Haruhi wore a similar look of horror.

She got over it first. "Get out! Haven't you ever heard of _knocking_?" She grabbed the clothes from his hand and shoved him out, closing the door sharply. She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath, before getting dressed.

_That's it. I'm done for. By tomorrow I'll be sent home, or given an even worse punishment. Why was I so stupid? Why did I even think this would work in the first place?_

She opened the door when she was finished berating herself, bowing to a still obviously in shock Tamaki. "I can explain…"

"Explain what?"

Haruhi turned to see the others walking towards them. _Why? Why all of them all at once?_

"H-Haruhi… he's… Haruhi's a… girl?" Tamaki stammered out.

Hikaru rolled his eyes. "Took you long enough."

"You _knew_?" Tamaki shouted.

"_You_ knew?" Haruhi was equally shocked.

Kaoru shrugged. "We figured it out the first night."

"It really wasn't that hard. And lower your voice, Tamaki, you'll attract attention." Kyoya pushed up his glasses with one finger.

"We found out last week. Didn't we Takashi?"

"… Yeah."

"Wait, wait… can everyone just _be quiet _ for a second?" Silence fell, and, for what Haruhi felt was the thousandth time that evening, she took a deep breath. "Everyone knew-"

"Except Tamaki." Hikaru chuckled.

"-So why didn't you _say_ anything about it?"

"More importantly, why didn't anyone tell _me_? As the leader of this group, I should have been the first to know." Tamaki was the picture of indignation.

"Boss, it's not our fault that you were too stupid to figure it out on your own."

"Silence, fools! I'll have you know I've been busy with kingdom matters-"

"Do you know how ridiculous you sound? No one talks like that anymore…"

"It's okay Haru-chan!" Hunny seemed to have noticed her distress. "We didn't tell anyone."

"You didn't? Why not?"

"Because you wanted to keep it a secret. Right?"

"But… it's against the rules…"

"And you don't think _we_'_ve_ broken the rules at some point of time?" Hikaru smirked. "Yours is just on a slightly larger scale."

Kaoru leaned over. "_Why_ are you doing it, though? Is it a pride thing, like woman-power, or…"

Haruhi shook her head. "It seemed like the best way to help my family. I was planning on telling people when I'm eighteen, but… I guess it's too late for that now."

She felt a hand on her head before seeing Tamaki's face as he bent down to look her in the eyes, then pulled her into a loose hug. "We're not going to send you away. Family is important. We understand. We said we'd help you, didn't we?" There was a pause, and Haruhi was about to thank him (or tell him to get off), when she heard Hikaru's amused voice.

"What, you've known that she's a girl for two minutes, and you're already making a move on her?"

Tamaki jumped back. "What? No, I- She's like a sister! Or a niece! Or a daughter!"

"That's… kind of weird, Highness." Haruhi frowned. "But you guys are really fine with it? You won't tell, or get me kicked out?"

"I promise!" Hunny smiled.

"… Yeah." Mori nodded.

Kyoya shrugged. "I see no harm in you staying."

"It's going to be fun." Kaoru and Hikaru chorused.

Kyoya turned and started walking back to the festivities, smiling to himself. "So the game begins…"


	15. Day by Day

Haruhi woke up, squinting at the light streaming through her window. As it was a weekend, there was no practice. Only punishment duties for those who'd misbehaved (as in, the twins), or trips into the city, if anyone wanted to do anything but sleep and laze about. Personally, Haruhi thought a trip to the city would do her good. Maybe after her sword lessons with Mori.

Haruhi sat up suddenly, the night before coming back to her.

_They know._

_And they aren't angry._

She smiled suddenly, the road ahead of her seeming much brighter, now that she had people to walk it with her.

…

"You're getting much better, Haru-chan!"

Haruhi smiled. She'd just gone through an entire set with Mori without falling, dropping her sword, _or_ getting hit. She wasn't _good_ yet, and was still almost constantly defending, but she was making fast progress under Mori's quiet leadership.

…

Much like her first weeks at the palace, the days went by in a blur. But a happy one, this time. She spent her time training or spending time with her friends. The hours were filled with fending off Tamaki's ridiculous familial claims to her and the twins' strange comments and actions, listening to Kyoya's quips and mildly evil comments as well as Hunny's childlike exclamations paired with Mori's monosyllabic responses (in fact, getting to know them, Mori was the least strange. Which was saying something, seeing as he was a strong shadow that said very little. But compared to the over-exuberant, self titled prince-in-shining-armor, the two devils, the dark, ruthless, power – and money- hungry demon prince, and the knight who acted ten years younger than he was, Mori was relatively normal).

There was only one more court-wide event in Haruhi's time as a trainee, the celebration of the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. Haruhi spent the time flirting with noblewomen – a feat she was getting less and less awkward at – and dancing – something Kaoru had taken an evening to teach her, mostly for the sole purpose of distressing Tamaki. However, she wasn't able to see Yuki, as the woman had tried a risky jump on horseback the night before the event and broken her leg, which was a shame, since Haruhi had wanted to tell her sister about her friends and their knowledge of her masquerade. It was just as well, though. If the group of them got together with Yuki, Haruhi had a feeling that the twins and her sister would wreak havoc together.

Haruhi fell into her routine. She rolled out of bed at an ungodly hour for exercises, met her friends for meals with practices in between – though, a month after she arrived, the twins went through their tests to become squires, leaving Haruhi the only member of their immediate group still a trainee. At night, everyone met up at Tamaki's or Hunny's or one of the twins' rooms to talk and such. At midnight, she'd meet Mori in secret at the general practice courts for extra teaching, with Hunny coming along when he wasn't too tired. Haru didn't know to what degree she was improving, since they hadn't gone through sword fighting in classes since the day she'd first come to Mori for help. She just hoped her skills would show at her tests at the end of the month.

Despite the stress, the lies, and spending the longest time away from her sister she'd ever had, Haruhi felt herself truly happy. She had friends willing to protect her (that went for all of them. Except maybe Kyoya, unless there was something in it for him), and she was doing something she found she loved.

…

Haruhi rolled out of bed in the morning, feeling a strange sense of excitement mixed with anxiousness and trepidation. Today was testing. It was said that just over half the trainees actually made it through the exams, and the others were sent home, never to fulfill their dreams and aspirations…

_No. I will get through this. I haven't come this far for nothing._

**... ... ...**

**Okay, so I wrote this in between studying for an exam and writing a six page essay, so i was kind of stressed :| So it's a bit... yeah.**

**But please, review, pm me... I'll be around, even if I'm not really doing anything ^^**


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